Chuck Grassley: “the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act before us, sponsored by myself and Senator Levin, is an amendment to title 5…”

“the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act before us, sponsored by myself and Senator Levin, is an amendment to title 5 of the United States Code. This is a law which I originally sponsored back in 1989 with Senator Levin. That 1989 law, also titled the ``Administrative Dispute Resolution Act,'' was crafted to encourage Federal agencies to streamline dispute resolution processes by use of alternative dispute resolution techniques rather than by litigation. These techniques are often collectively referred to as ADR, and include mediation, arbitration, conciliation, fact-finding, and minitrials. Since the enactment of that law, most Federal agencies have formulated ADR programs and consequently have saved significant amounts of time and money by avoiding litigation of claims. At the same time, agencies haven't sacrificed fairness or party satisfaction. Overall, agencies have recognized the benefits of ADR's efficiency. As an example of the success of these programs, the Environmental Protection Agency utilizes mediation and arbitration to resolve Superfund, Clean Water Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act disputes. The EPA has expressed great satisfaction with the results of these techniques in their resolution of complex regulatory enforcement issues. In addition, ADR techniques are far less costly than litigation.”